Marching for human rights

Yesterday's march for human rights organised by the National Commission for Disabled Persons and the Jesuit Refugee Service in Valletta was a very good initiative. The organisers invited the participation of all groups representing minorities and who suffer discrimination because of disabilities, race, religion, age, gender and sexual orientation. It is good to create a common front against discrimination. In this fair land we waste lots of energy on turf wars and infighting when co-operation and coalition building would be more effective and yield better results!

We have become a more open and tolerant society. But there is still a lot of hidden and not so hidden ugly discrimination in our midst. Many people still feel discriminated against because of the political opinions they have. Homosexuals are still the object of abuse and ridicule in many places.

Most of us are still racist when it comes to dealing with Libyans, other Arabs and refugees who land on our shores. Many of us men still think women are inferior, even if we do not dare say it openly anymore. The culture of charity, rather than that of human rights, still dominates our behaviour and attitude towards disabled persons. Young people feel that they are not give a chance by the older generations who feel threatened in their positions. Old people complain that they are marginalised and their experience is not made use of in our society. People who are not practising Catholics are still frowned upon!

And we need more than a march for human rights to move from our present situation where we are perhaps more tolerant, because it is more politically correct to be so, than to really embrace the culture of diversity and have the courage and openness not simply to tolerate those who are different from us but also to celebrate them.

After I participated in a march organised by the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) in Valletta last summer I was approached by people advising me that my participation raised eyebrows and damaged my reputation as a politician! These people would never dare say this in public. On the whole we appear to be more civilised and tolerant than we really are! I will continue to associate myself with all persons and groups fighting discrimination in our society.

Still a long way to go

I am proud to have done my bit in helping the MGRM put pressure on Government to implement the European Union Directive based on the principle of equal treatment in employment and training irrespective of religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and age. A legal notice published at the end of November introduces the legal prohibition of all forms of harassment at the workplace, as well as the obligation of workers' associations and professional bodies not to discriminate on the basis of religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and age.

It is largely thanks to the work and pressure of the MGRM - locally and with EU institutions - that these regulations have been issued. Their publication means that the government has reversed its previous position that the pre-existing legal framework was sufficient to adequately implement the EU's Directive.

Welcoming the publication of these regulations, the MGRM still felt the need to state: "...there are still certain areas of concern. For instance, what the EU Directive says about the burden of proof in civil proceedings has not been adequately implemented in the local legislation yet. Above all, religious organisations have been granted exemptions that are not permitted by the EU Directive, since these exemptions could only have been applied had these religious organisations already been benefiting from preferential treatment prior to the implementation of the Directive. This has not been the case locally."

There is still a lot to be done to eliminate all forms of discrimination among us. Structures like the Ombudsman have been set up, laws have been changed to entitle disabled persons, women, gays and people of different beliefs fair and equal treatment ... but there are still mindsets and behaviour to be changed. We are not doing enough in school to bring up our children and young people in a strong culture of human rights. Sporadic events are not enough. We need an ongoing public education programme going beyond schools and involving within it the political parties, the media, trade unions, business organisations and non-government organisations combating discrimination whenever and wherever it manifests itself.

evaristbartolo@hotmail.com